Anatomical brace for the cure of flat foot.



TENTED; 001'. 9, 1906.

, G. B. BUELL. w ANATOMIGAL BRAGE FOR THE cum: 0F PLAT FOOT.

APPLIOATION FILED APB. 12.1905.

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PATENTED 0019, 1906 e. B. BUBLL.

ANATOMIGAL BRAGE FOR THE cum; 0P FLAT FOOT.

APPLICATION I'I-LED APB. 12.1905.

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UNITED sures. PATENT crises;

obese-s ELISI-I'ABUELL. OF ROCHESTER. NEW toss.

sumomiom. some Foss rescues 0F FLAT Foo-r.

rgo. seen.

fiyecificatiou of Letters Patent.

Patented out. o, ices.

A etite 51s A n 12, 1265. Serial to. 266,224.

To all whom it -may concern:

Be known that l, GEORGE ELISHA BU for the Cure of Flat/Foot, of whichtbe follow ing is a specification. i

The obj ect of my invention primarily is'to roduce a foot-brace or arch-support for a toot wbicb,beiu designed and adapted to sup-port the members 01 a foot in the form of the natural arch proper to it, without restraining the normal motion of the foot and ithout applying mechanical support save Where it is indispensable is adopted to effect a permanent correction and cure of that deformi ty of the bum an body commonly known as flat foot,

Inasmuch as the valueof m brace de pends jorits efficiency as a curative agent upon perfect accuracy of fit to the foot whose deformity it is designed. to correct and Whereas the shapes and sizes of feet in the human species are of uifmitevamety, it 1s essential to rovide practicable means of fitting the race in each case in which it is to be used.'

.My invention therefore comprehends a brace fitted to the footto be treated and comprising an unyielding portion and ref erably means ancillary to the unyie ding portion for zip lying and holding it in posi- 11-1011 upon the bot.

- in the accompanying drawings, which constitute a port of this specification, Figure I a sideelevation of a human foot, showing the same iii full lines with its'normal arch and. in dotted lines with its arch broken down into the shops commonly denominated fiat foot, the bony structure in each instance being indicated. Fig. ll bottom plan view of tile cast, illustrating also in dotted lines, though produced by X-ray photography, the bony structure of the foot r0111 which the csstis mode, showing thy brace fitted thereto with proper reference to the members of the foot and their joints and iliowing also a preferred mode of securing the brace to the foot within a flexible case.

Fig. H1 is on inside view of the cast with a brace and its case fitted thereto. Fig. IV 1s a side elevation of the cast. with its brace and case applied and fitted thereto, the view being from the opposite side to that shownm ill; Fig. V is en inside perspective view of one of my braces and its case. Fig.

' VI. is a section taken as on the line VI of lhe brace constituting my invention may be constructed in any suitable manner; but becauseit -must conform accurately to the natural shape of the foot to be treated 1 prefor to construct it as follows: A plaster cast 6 of the foot to be treated is made. Then the Y fiosition of the foots members and joints aving been determined upon the cast the outline of the brace is drawn upon its bottom. With that drawing as guide the brace 7 is out and molded or fashioned into shape froma plate, as of sheet-brass, of suitable gage to render it practically unyielding to the weight of the body which it is designed to support.

In fitting the brace" (by which term ll designate exclusively the unyieldiog mezzo-- her, which is in its completed form, as hereinafter clearly specified, preferably incased in flexible material) its longitudinal extent is determined by a position at about the middle of the calcaiieum (indicated by the numeral 8 in Figs. 1 and H) and a point just behind the root of the great toe or'the joint of the first metatsrsal with its phalanx, the point being indicated by the referencenumeral 9 in Figs. I and II of the drawings. In transverse extent the brace, which is new ally of a somewhat irregularly rhomboidal shape, as illustrated, for exam 1c, in Fig. ll, having its corners rounded oil, as indicated at 8, 9, i0, and 11, respectively, in that figure, and. provided wit-n a slightly reiitrent side 12, extends under the tarsal and meta.

tarsal bones underneath the foot (indicated by the refercnce-nuinerel 10) to the said bones. (Indicated by the reference-numeral 11 in Fig. 11.) At the point 11 the arch of the brace'is carried Well up to. impart to the loot its natural arch and to hold it its normal position.

A brace. constructed in accordance with my method above described and of the relative dimensions .hereinbeiore specified is adapted to perfectly support the arch of the foot, but without restraining any of its normal movements, the restraint of which would prohibit a permanent cure by interior ing with the increase of muscular strength and the close knitting of the cartilaginous tis sues upon which ultimate cure of the deformity sought to-be remedied depends. This result is attained in a large measure by the use I stently while the weereriisefoot. end'is thereordinary hoot or shoe.

tion 0 the case to clasp the weak part of the gig of: the rettntrnnt side 12, which enables the braces to avoid interference with that pert of the foot better left unsupported.

My bmce is designed to. be worn confore preierehly seeped-re; use insider-oi an It has been specified th' t restriction of the normal 'ni'tinns of the foot must not be pre' vented; but it is nevertheless; nmssery to hold the ports of the foot eoinpeetly to' gether, as wel es to provide an un 'elding support for the ercls of the loot. "or that reason, its Welles to hold the'brece inplnce in use in on ordinary shoe I prefer to rovidethe breee'i Withefiexiblecovering w ic may be made of two iecesol best sole-leather 15 and 16, (see Fi glued or cemented together, with the race 7 securely inclosed between them. 1 The longitudinal wtent of the case composed as oi the pieces 15 end 16, just specied, may extend longitudinally under the bell of the greet toe-joint, as indicated by the referenoenumerel 17 in Fi II of the rawings, and toward the rear 0 the heel, as indicated by the reference-numeral 18 in said figure. If preferred, since it is perfectly flexi- Me at those oiiots, the case may he extended iii-toe bee -pad 19 end a slightly laterally elon ted toe-pad 20, as shown in Fig. V of the rawings.

In respect to the lateral extent of the case great care in fitting is necessary and less latitude in shape and dimensions ispermissible.

'slightl In res ect to its lateral extent it is the funcfoot and hold its rncmbers cornpactly together. The extent of the two parts of the 5 case is Well defined, and they are soaked in cold water to render them pliable and are molded upon the cast 6 so that when they 1 are dry after being glued or ccmcnted togather and of preference stitched together} nee! their edgesthey retsintheir symmetrical shape and foot together in a com ner portion of the case, which except in VI the reference-numeral iencc designated by serve to hold the r not mess. oot (see Fi III) the ts of the On the inis or conven- 21', rises well above the scephoid anrlsll the v rominent bones to about one-half an inch low the nrazllkyolus coverirtg and protecting the astregelo sea 0 posite or outsi t .e case ee ers'theeai'esneo ect oi the the loot securely and exof the heel to a point and the outer es sufii'cient' to hol tends from the'center h sli htly behind the base What I claim is hoid junction. U oi theirs-ct, (secon the ig. IV,) cuboid foot to a height of the fifth metatar- 1. A brace for the cure oi fiat feet, which consists of smunyieldin'g plate of triangular shape,

arched to conform to the foot to be treated, the side of thetriengulor plate wdjaccnt to the toes being 2. A device for the cure an unyielding triangular brace-plate rm to the natural she foot and extending underneaththe oot longitudinally from a poin M pris' erche to con slightly rentmnt;

'of flat foot, como of the tatarsal phalanx junction to approximately the middle of the calceneum and laterally trom the fifth metatarsal cuboid junction to the' other side of said p ate adapted to the-foot, the angular plate adjacent to the toes re'ntrant, and a flexible covering for hold the same in iiide of the on being 051- ticn upon the foot and to afford a yielding support therefor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two 5th scribing Witnesses.

GEORGE Witnesses:

Geo. D. REED,

. I ELISHA BUELL.

IDA A. F nes/mew iu'nction 

